Agriculiure of Scotland. 



93 



Butchers' meat and wool^ ^ve have reason to beheve, were also 

 considerably lii2:lier during the former period : so that^ assuming 

 agricultural capital to have yielded an equal return at the two 

 periods, we are compelled to the conclusion^ that in productiveness 

 our fields have nearly doubled since the beginning of the century. 

 Now, we know that, though this preliminary assumption is far 

 from the truth, it would be much more incorrect to suppose that 

 the whole apparent difference v>'hich this article of price exhibits 

 found its way into the pocket of the farmer of the former period : 

 on the contrary, we believe that the great proportion of this dif- 

 ference of price is made up to the farmer of the present day by 

 increased productiveness, perhaps, to the amount at least of 70 

 per cent. 



This result, it is confidently presumed, has been chiefly brought 

 about during the period now under consideration^ and has been 

 mainly effected by the judicious intermixture of the feedmg and 

 grazing of live-stock with arable culture ; by which, not only has 

 the soil been brouo-ht to a fjreater fertilitv when under culmiferous 

 crops, but to produce all the additional live-stock now kept as 

 clear disposable gain. To increase the amount of this live-stock 

 has been the chief care of the successful farmer, and has led to 

 many of the greatest improvements in the husbandry of modern 

 days. The great extent to which draining^ for instance, has been 

 lately carried, in a great measure, is owing to the desire to produce 

 an additional breadth of turnips, that more live-stock may be 

 maintained. Foreign manures have also been introduced, and 

 liberally employed with a like end ; and even the climate has ac- 

 quired great amelioration from the extensive plantations which 

 have been executed chiefly with a view to afford shelter for sheep. 

 Of these improvements it may be right to say something in detail. 



Draining has been much more extensively and systematically 

 performed during the whole of this period. In the earlier part of 

 it, that system had been in general use which had for its object; 

 the mtersectmg of springs, or of the oozings of under-water forced 

 from a higher surface. This was accomplished by means of 

 drains cut generally at right angles with the line of the ridges, or 

 across the slope of the ground, sufficiently deep to reach the 

 porous stratum through which such spouts found vent; and the 

 usual method was to form the line of drain immediatelv above 

 that where the indication of superabundant moisture appeared, 

 leading it off to the nearest open ditch. These drains are of 

 various depths^ according to the nature and distance from the sur- 

 face of the strata in which the water is found, but four feet may 

 be considered the ordinary extent to which they are carried ; fre- 

 quent wells or bores bemg added along the line of the ch-ain, 

 sometimes on Elkington's principle, to reach a penious vent for 



